After five seasons of knocking on the door as a playoff team, Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens busted through with the franchise’s second Super Bowl victory. Now comes the hard part: doing it again.

The list of conference contenders in 2013 looks very similar to last season, and the heavyweights figure to be in the thick of the title race again. The Ravens face still competition all around, starting with a rising team in their own division.

Here’s how Sporting News sees all of the AFC division races playing out this season:

The Patriots survived a trying offseason both on and off the field and have come out of it looking much like their familiar, dynastic selves with Tom Brady, Stevan Ridley and Bill Belichick keeping everyone (and everything) together. That, combined with the fact that no team in their division has found enough of their own answers to catch up with them, means it's a slam dunk New England will be in the Super Bowl hunt as East champs again.

There was a lot of buzz about a big offensive jump, fueled by Ryan Tannehill, Mike Wallace and Lamar Miller. But Miami isn't quite there yet to be an explosive, prolific unit and will still need to grind out a lot of games with its true strength—the defense powered by Cameron Wake. The schedule is too challenging and the team will need to take a small step back to go forward in 2014.

The Bills are looking at rookie quarterbacks all the way, and their offense doesn't have much pop outside running back C.J. Spiller. Doug Marrone's staff will be a good influence on EJ Manuel, but the reliable playmakers in the passing game just aren't there. What may be more fun to watch is a defense that will bring multiple looks and exotic blitzes under new coordinator Mike Pettine. The rebuilding mode won't add up to a lot of wins, however.

The J-E-T-S have turned into a real M-E-S-S. The battle to start under center between Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith has been less real quarterback competition and more pure quarterback controversy. The supporting cast doesn't do either passer any favors, and while Rex Ryan still has control over a premier pass defense, he's losing control of everything else. The final record will lead to Ryan's final season in New York.

They're Bungles no more. Marvin Lewis has his best team since arriving in Cincinnati, with a top-flight pass-rushing defense buoyed by a more dynamic, versatile offense. Andy Dalton and A.J. Green have steadied the attack, and now the Bengals are able to diversify it with speed and quickness at the other positions. This team already has the attitude and physicality to battle for the Super Bowl, and a faster and more furious edition will lead to a division title breakthrough.

The Ravens have seen both fading greats and rising stars depart from their defense, and they have seen departures and injuries also hamper the offense. But it's same, old, happy tune—they will remain black and blue in the brutal AFC North, with the toughness of leaders John Harbaugh and Joe Flacco flowing through the entire remixed roster. The core of what Baltimore does well remains intact, and the champs will have a chance to repeat, albeit as a wild card.

The Steelers are hoping the wheels don't come off their offensive line and running game again, but the injury and inconsistency issues remain. The defense Defensively, they're working to turn the page with some new attackers for Dick LeBeau's 3-4. They're hoping that Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Tomlin can hold up a team in transition, but, stuck in a difficult division behind two strong returning playoff teams, third place looks like the best case.

There is a lot of promise for the Browns' offense, as both Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden will be helped in Year 2 with the influences of Rob Chudzinski and Norv Turner. Cleveland also spent a lot of money to upgrade the other side of the ball. That will make the Browns a lot more competitive in this division, but the teams in front of them are just too strong. The improvement will set them up for a brighter next year.

The Texans have found their groove as a consistent division winner and hope they've not hit their ceiling as a playoff team. Their championship window will remain propped open as long as Wade Phillips and J.J. Watt are powering their defense. They went out and got a little more passing pop to add to their steady running game, and that should help them hold off the Colts. The question now is how Houston can solve the Patriots or Broncos when it counts most.

As a rookie last season, Andrew Luck helped make the Colts a statistical anomaly of a playoff team with his third-down heroics and willingness to go for the big plays that compensated for many issues associated with a rebuilding team. The Colts have built a better surrounding cast and put him in better position to lead them to the playoffs. They will sneak in as a wild card again, matching the challenge of a tougher schedule.

The Jaguars have developed some good young receiving talent for Blaine Gabbert, and it's nice to have a most familiar runner, Maurice Jones-Drew, back healthy. There is a welcome new energy and exuberance around the franchise with coach Gus Bradley and general manager David Caldwell, and the overall youth should help the team become relevant again in a year or two.

The Titans aren't sure whether Jake Locker is the answer at quarterback, but they will get a lot closer to knowing after this season. They want to be an old-school running team with Chris Johnson and Shonn Greene bursting through stronger interior run blocking, but their struggling defense will force them to need more from Locker than they would want.

The Broncos are back where they were the end of last year. Questions about their pass defense remain, and it doesn't help that Von Miller won't be around for nearly half the season. So it's on the right arm of Peyton Manning to take them as far as they can. One thing is for sure—their schedule is easy enough for them to waltz through the weak West.

The Chiefs should be a lot more respectable with Andy Reid and Alex Smith stabilizing their offense; just don't expect them to set the division on fire. The offense will still go through burner Jamaal Charles, and the defense is stocked with its own cavalcade of stars. Just being above average at quarterback with a steady coach can put Kansas City on the cusp of the playoffs.

The Chargers are a force on defense, with their best playmakers, Donald Bulter and Eric Weddle, residing in the back seven. They've tried their best to bring back the old Philip Rivers with coach Mike McCoy and offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, but the line, wide receiver injuries and a lack of backfield durability may all stand in the way. Look for San Diego to hang around in the playoff chase early, then fade at midseason.

The Raiders are the worst team in the league, and there are few opportunities for victory on their schedule. The late apparent quarterback shift from Matt Flynn to Terrelle Pryor doesn't help an offense that's set up to sputter everywhere, even with Darren McFadden, and the defense has become a sieve up front that will make division opponents wide-eyed.